INSTRUCTORS

meet Our Staff

MEET OUR STAFF

AMANDA NIXON

OWNER & INSTRUCTOR

Miss Amanda's Bio Amanda danced for 20+ years under the instruction of Verna (Purdy) Cross. She is trained in ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, lyrical, hip hop, clogging, belly dancing, and hula. She also devoted 18 years to gymnastics. Amanda has owned and operated Le Rose Dance Academy since 1994. Early in her career, she won several state and national dance awards including the National Championship at Tremaine Nationals in New York City. She performed on television for “Kids Around Town” for one year and was selected to perform in the Pan Am Games, as well as in Europe as part of a traveling company. She is a graduate and past faculty member of the Indiana State Dance Convention. She has been named top choreographer at the Indiana State Dance Championships. She taught dance classes for three years for the Franklin Community High School Winter Intensive. She is a graduate of Franklin Community High School where she was given the Outstanding Citizen award her senior, crowned prom queen, and cheered Varsity all four years. Her cheer squad made it to NCA Nationals in Dallas, Texas. She was named a National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) All American Cheerleader for three years. She worked with NCA for five years and was selected as part of the top 35 Veteran Cheerleaders in the United States. She was the assistant coach for Franklin Community High School’s cheerleaders for two years and coached for one year. She was a pre-school teacher for the Franklin Parks and Recreation Department and also ran their dance and gymnastics department for two years. She also choreographed musicals for Franklin Community High School including “Wizard of Oz”, “Oklahoma” and “Guys and Dolls”. Her studio was selected to perform in the 2000 Indianapolis 500 Parade. They are also a six-time performer for the Indianapolis Circle of Lights. They have also won the opportunity to compete at the National level in Missouri and Ohio. Her students have several local, state, and national titles. Amanda lives in Greenwood with her husband, Andy Nixon. She has one son, Tyler, a step-daughter, Hannah, and a step-son, Kyle. She would like to welcome all of you to our dance family.

HOLLY HANDLON

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR & INSTRUCTOR

Miss Holly's Bio Miss Holly began dancing when she was 3 years old and was a former dancer at Le Rose Dance Academy for 9 years. She was part of the Rosette competition team and began assisting classes when she was 11 years old. With LRDA, she competed regionally and nationally, attended many conventions, participated in the Disney Performing Arts Program, and danced for the Circle of Lights twice. She also was also part of her middle and high school dance teams where she performed for football and basketball games, community events, and competed in the Indiana High School Dance Team Association. The summer after graduating high school, she worked for National Dance Alliance, where she got to travel to several different dance team camps and share her passion with teams across the Midwest. She was also a dance team coach and choreographer for her former middle school team. Miss Holly attended IUPUI and received her Bachelor's degree in Informatics. She now works full-time as a Project Manager for Software Development in Indianapolis. This is Miss Holly's 5th year as an instructor for Le Rose Dance Academy and she loves engaging with students of all ages and nurturing their love of dance. She is trained in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, and modern.

MACKENZIE HANEY

ACADEMY DIRECTOR & INSTRUCTOR

Miss Mackenzie's Bio Miss Mackenzie Haney has been with Le Rose Dance Academy since she was 3 years old. Mackenzie danced competitively as a member of the Rosettes for 10 seasons. During her time as a competitive dancer, Mackenzie competed at regional and national level dance competitions, performed live and televised in the Circle of Lights four times, as well as performing in Walt Disney World. Mackenzie went on to dancing for the Division II dance team at the University of Indianapolis while studying Human Services. This is Miss Mackenzie's 8th year as an instructor of Le Rose Dance Academy. Mackenzie is the creator and instructor of LRDA's, Everybody Dance Now, an inclusive dance program for dancers with special needs of all ages and abilities. Mackenzie enjoys teaching all ages and styles of dance to anyone who comes through the door at Le Rose Dance Academy. When Miss Mackenzie is not teaching dance, she is working as an employment advisor for a non for profit that serves individuals with special needs to ensure their success with competitive community employment. Mackenzie can also be found at home with her new baby Hudson who arrived recital weekend 2021.

JESSICA RHINEHART-BUCHANAN

WYNTER HAWK

KYLE HAWK

INSTRUCTOR

Miss Jessica's Bio Jessica has been dancing for 17 years and is a former student teacher and Rosette of Le Rose Dance Academy. Her love of dancing started at a very young age and only continued to grow as she spent more hours training and assisting classes at Le Rose. Outside of dancing at the studio she also started teaching her own dance classes during her freshman and sophomore years of high school at the Franklin Parks Department. Jessica graduated from Franklin Community High School in 2009 and attended Ball State University where she attained a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and a minor in Counseling Psychology in December 2013. Jessica continued to dance at the University level her entire four years in college on the hip hop dance team, Outlet, where she also served as President for two years. Jessica has choreographed for numerous dance teams and studios and has participated and performed in many different dance events and projects over the years. She is always striving to continue learning by attending workshops and conventions. Jessica has taken classes from some of the biggest dance names in Hollywood such as “Willdabeast” Adams, Mia Michaels, Laurie Ann Gibson, Brian Friedman, and more. She is trained in tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop, contemporary, pointe, clogging, and is currently working on her certification to become a Ballroom dance instructor.

LAINEE BULLER

INSTRUCTOR

Miss Lainee's Bio Miss Lainee has been with Le Rose Dance Academy since she was 7 years old. Miss Lainee started dancing as a member of the Rosette competition team in 4th grade and was on the team for 6 years. While being a member of the competition team, she had the opportunity to perform in Walt Disney World and attend multiple national dance competitions in Pigeon Forge. This is her second year being an instructor at Le Rose Dance Academy. She was a student assistant for 7 years before getting the opportunity to teach on her own. Her favorite classes to be a part of have always been the Baby Let’s Dance classes and the Everybody Dance Now program. Her favorite style of dance has always been tap. Outside of the dance studio, Miss Lainee did show choir at her high school. Her first year in show choir, she was the dance captain. After getting the opportunity to be in a different show choir, she was one of the dance leaders for people to go to for choreography help. She got the opportunity to perform with her choir at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, in New York City. Miss Lainee currently is attending IUPUC taking her prerequisites, but is planning on transferring schools to pursue a career in Music Education. She is excited to get the opportunity to teach and is looking forward to making memories with all her dancers.

OLIVIA ALVEY

INSTRUCTOR

Miss Olivia's Bio This is Miss Olivia's first year working at Le Rose as part of the gymnastics program! She danced for 14 years at Style Dance Academy and her favorite style of dance is acro. She enjoys spending time with friends and in her community. SHe is going to be a sophomore at Franklin College where she also will be cheering. Go Griz.

INSTRUCTOR

Miss Wynter's Bio Wynter Hawk started dancing at the age of 6 and fell in love with ballet. At 9 years old, she started her training at Jordan College Academy of Dance (Butler’s pre-college program). Over the years that followed, she continued her training with notable studios and companies such as Ballet International, Houston Ballet, Indiana Ballet Conservatory, Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre, and the Indianapolis School of Ballet. While under the instruction of Alyona Yakovleva and Tatiana Pali, Wynter placed 2nd in the Youth America Grand Prix regional competition, taking her to the world finals in New York City. Wynter’s favorite role was performing the role of Clara for Butler’s Nutcracker. For the last 13 years, Wynter has had the honor of being a choreographer and dance instructor for all ages. She has choreographed various musicals including Guys and Dolls, Anything Goes, Into The Woods, Little Mermaid Jr., and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. She also had the privilege of being the head dance coach and an acting coach for Actors Models and Talent for Christ before they closed their doors in 2018. Currently, Wynter is a working actress and studies with Online Actors Academy and Indy Actors Academy. She teaches ballet at Le Rose Dance Academy. Wynter loves spending time with her husband, raising her daughter, being outside, gardening, learning German, reading books, writing, watching movies, building an ice tree in her backyard in the wintertime, and most of all, working hard for Jesus!

QUINCY DAWSON

INSTRUCTOR

Mr. Quincy's Bio Bio coming soon...Bio coming soon...Bio coming soon...

KAITLYN HITZ

INSTRUCTOR

Miss Kaitlyn's Bio Bio coming soon...

INSTRUCTOR

Mr. Kyle's Bio Bio coming soon...

HANNAH NIXON

INSTRUCTOR

Miss Hannah's Bio Hannah has grown up in the dance studio. She was a former dancer at Le Rose Dance Academy for 18 years. She started competing at the age of 11 as a pre rosette. She has trained in ballet, Jazz, tap, point, lyrical, hip hop, and musical theater. She competed at regional and national competitions and holds several regional titles. She also attended many conventions and participated in the Disney performing arts program. She has been a teachers assistant since she was 12 and has loved being in the classroom with the kids to help them grow and share her passion for dance. She was involved in the Everybody dance now assisting from the beginning of the program through her senior year. She was on both varsity cheer and dance throughout her high school career. She attends the University of Indianapolis, studying nursing, to become a registered nurse and specialize in labor and delivery. When miss Hannah is not in the studio she likes spending time with her puppy.

MEET OUR 2023-2024 STAR PROGRAM MEMBERS

We are so excited to announce our BRAND NEW, totally revamped teacher assistant program! LRDA prides itself in our teacher assistants and student helpers that make our recreational classes possible!

The new Student Teacher Assistant Roles program will truly train and showcase our helpers, and we hope to create a future of role models and leaders.

It is our mission to provide a positive and caring environment for all dancers, and help facilitate the next generation of leaders and role models.